The Origins Of 6 Features Common In Films

Before 1960, movies were shown on a loop rather than a on a pre-determined schedule like we have today. You would just walk into a theatre and watch whatever movie was showing. If you missed the beginning, all you had to do was sit through the ending and then watch the beginning once it looped back around. This was before the internet and cell phones, and apparently nobody was that worried about spoilers.

Then something happened in 1960: Alfred Hitchcock released Psycho. The master of suspense did not want anybody’s experience ruined by watching the ending before seeing the beginning. He took out newspaper ads imploring people to go to the theatre on time and see Psycho from the beginning. Theatres printed schedules and closed doors once the movie started.

This new idea was a smashing success. People got to Psycho without having the twist ending spoiled for them. And crucially, theatres discovered they could make more money that way (the popcorn scam came later) and the idea stuck.